


Happy Allergies

by spnsmile



Series: Destiel Prompt August Collection 2020 [15]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Allergies, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Awkward Romance, Castiel and Dean Winchester Falling in Love, Castiel and Dean Winchester First Meet, Castiel and Dean Winchester are Dorks, Coffee Shop Owner Gabriel (Supernatural), Coffee Shops, Cute, Cutesy, Dean Winchester Has a Cat Allergy, Declarations Of Love, Dorks in Love, First Dates, First Meetings, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Love Confessions, M/M, Meet-Cute, Mistaken Identity, Random & Short, Romance, Short & Sweet, Short One Shot, Sweet, Worried Castiel (Supernatural)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-07
Updated: 2020-09-07
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:40:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,401
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26341273
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spnsmile/pseuds/spnsmile
Summary: In which Castiel works in a cat coffee shop and Dean is allergic to cats.From this wonderful artist <3yayee-prsp(check out links for better resolution and another cute Cas piccy <3
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester
Series: Destiel Prompt August Collection 2020 [15]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1860856
Comments: 12
Kudos: 68
Collections: Writer's Month 2020





	Happy Allergies

**Author's Note:**

> Written for day 15 of prompt challenge: coffee shop! It's awesome to find this cute inspiration 💓
> 
> With permission from ya-yee-prsp, enjoy!

This is from [yayee-prsp](https://yayee-prsp.tumblr.com/post/175172365477/i-have-no-lyfe-imagine-an-au-where-dean-a) <3

Cat Wings Café is popular for a reason—it houses dozens of different cats from across the globe, of all sizes and colors, all meowling in the four corners of the pink café from morning to afternoon, lazing and lounging about in their lithe bodies and little paws getting people sighing in satisfaction. 

Castiel has worked there since his brother, Gabriel, opened it a year ago. Since he promised to help, and where one requirement is loving the company of the cuddly domesticated pets without minding furballs, he took the job. He did not forsee how much it would mean to him nor realized how much he cared for Buttersticks and Puddles who were the senior cats in the group. Gabriel got them from a shelter who advised affections would help the cats greatly. Castiel didn't plan to waste his months of effort trying to get the aloof Buttersticks to finally let him pet its head.

He stayed for a year and a half to date. 

Now, apart from working behind the counter and being a barista when needed be, he also works as a caretaker to dozens of felines pitter-pattering the marble floor.

Their customers genuinely like the cats too where the shop is located in the middle of the busy city where people rarely stop to notice what's around them. Most of their patrons either get the promised stress relief or have pure fascination and adoration for cats will always have a soothing a positive effect.

They sink and retract sharp claws from customers who cause a scene or make too much ruckus. Overall, it was what Castiel can handle. 

It’s always busy during peak hours too, customers in queue almost every day to get their favorite coffee while petting any cat who’d choose them.

It’s rare to see the smart felines getting in the queue mark, usually they stay on top shelves of their playhouse, lounging, eyes watching people come in and out. Castiel’s work hours are weekdays, his day off on the weekends so when his co-worker, Meg, asked him to take her shift because of a family reunion, Castiel doesn’t mind. Meg’s always been nice to him.

The first time he took that Saturday shift was remarkable. A guy bumps to him outside the coffee shop just when he was hurrying to clock in. Castiel would have ignored him if the man didn’t call him by his name. 

“Is this yours? _Cas_?”

The deep voice has Castiel staring back to see a handsome man with startling bright green eyes that make the earth proud it graced the world with its distinct hue.

There's something about the way how his eyes sparkles when they gaze at each other like lightning meets its thunder, clashing in harmony. 

Castiel stares. He’s never met anyone so attractive in person.

The man smiles, a slight perk of the corner of his mouth.

“Here,” he hands Castiel his nameplate.

“Thank you,” Castiel manages with a swallow but he doesn’t reach for the tag, too distracted by the man’s beautiful freckles he wants to count all night long. He feels awful for not fixing his hair that morning, and after a run towards the bus station, he must’ve looked a mess. Compared to this dashing guy, he’s nothing. But Mr. Cute dimple guy just smiles again and they stay frozen for a moment of search and question in the silence, but it broke when the guy frowns and hurries away like a demon was chasing him.

“My…nameplate…” Castiel tries to say but the man was gone.

He enters the shop still in a daze and was met with a ragdoll cat called Summer and a Calico named Butterstick. Still, as he worked that day, he kept wondering if he will meet the guy again. He was sure it wasn’t only him who felt that connection. Plus the guy has his name tag.

Come next week, Castiel makes up his mind after days of agonizing whether they would meet each other again. The absence of his nameplate didn’t matter as he’s got another spare in the locker rooms.

He began the day hopeful, tending to the cats, telling the customers each breed and cat preferences. He also tells them not to let their children too close to the kittens as they tend to get hyper excited and might scratch skins.

Unfortunately, he doesn’t meet the guy again and he figures it must be about the schedule. It wasn’t hard to convince Meg and Alfie to shift schedules so there he found himself again setting up the coffee house early Saturday morning.

It panned out a disappointing day, he never saw the Green-eyed guy. What he saw instead was a man in a strange military jacket-wearing suspicious shades and face mask who never bothered to remove them even when he ordered coffee.

The weird thing about him is how he keeps avoiding cats. He doesn’t pet them. He just sits there, back straight and staring at the glass wall or at Castiel. Castiel spent a full five minutes watching the man squirm as three cats nuzzled, meowled, and jumped up to his lap. He didn’t get violent but it was very obvious he wasn’t a fan. He was very interesting and strange, to say the least, Castiel finds himself observing him from the corner of his eyes, watching his hesitant reaction to the cute cats who were all very attracted to him.

It took him a while to realize a month has passed and the guy with his nameplate never returned. Maybe it was nothing, maybe he was the only one overthinking things…

The next few weeks have Castiel’s hands full. The cats’ mating seasons made it impossible to contain them in an area without making a riot with other male cats and he’s rewarded the time to fix the schedule of which tabbies will replace the long-haired cats who are more sensitive to temperature during their heat. The coffee shop is airconditioned but it cannot keep changing the stat every time a cat heats up so they put their cuddly companions at the back room where they will be more comfortable.

Gabriel comes around one Saturday to visit. He’s usually at the shop around weekdays.

“Heard about cat-nappers?”

“What cat-nappers?” Castiel’s whole body shudders at the thought, instinct immediately wandering to a mysterious guy that’s been lurking around the shop every weekend.

“Heard it from the news. They caught two guys in-camera nabbing some poor Persian in front of its owner’s house. Happened not far from here so I came to check security… and speaking of which…”

Gabriel drags his eyes to one of the counter tables and leans in conspiration to Cas.

_“That guy looks suspicious… should we call the cops?”_

__

Castiel slowly turns to the stranger who’s been in the coffee shop for many weekends now. Standing up and ignoring Gabriel’s call, Castiel marches to the stranger. He is not going to let any harm happen to the cats, even if they are at the preemptive stage, no. He’s no not putting any risk to the cats he adores and protects. He stops beside the man’s shoulder, frowning. The guy turn to him and Castiel visibly saw his shoulders tense up. It adds more to his growing suspicion.

“Sir, I require you to show me your face.”

“Mmm?”

“Even if it’s just your shades, for security reasons.” He makes sure not to demand it, he wonders if his tone is the same. People say he’s got away of unnerving people. He hopes it works here.

“I uh… that’d be, sure, sure…” The man stands up and Castiel surprises at the height difference. “Uh…. Can we do it outside?” the man mumbles and something about his muffled voice sounded distinctly familiar. Castiel narrows his eyes.

“Why not here? Are you hiding something?” he growls.

“No, no—I just—” half the man’s face mask falls short from his other ear, revealing a pair of perfect red lips only to disappear in the fit of coughs. Castiel gets immediately concerned.

“Are you okay?”

“Cas, is there a problem?” Gabriel comes to stand beside Castiel and the two of them stares up at the tall guy who looks from one to another, “Are you causing trouble here, sir?”

“No—I’m just—”

“We don’t usually ask this, but there’s been news about cat-nappers around and for security reasons—”

“What? You think I would—?” the stranger says between his chokes. He tries clearing his throat to no avail until Castiel hands him a glass of water. After drinking a mouthful, the man turns to Castiel, “I’m not a cat-napper—I’m sorry but can we really go outside?” he hesitates, “I’m… I’m allergic to cats…”

Castiel blinks.

“Allergic to cats?” Gabriel says in disbelief, “Are you high or something? _You’re in a cat café!_ Don’t play dumb jokes on me! You’re already a very suspicious guy!”

“I’m not—honestly look, I’m here for a different r… reason,” the way he looks at Castiel’s direction only made the café worker squint. Who’s this guy? The cats are pretty close to him… unless the man was using catnip?

“I don’t buy your shit—your either here for the cats or something equally bad—show us your face!” Gabriel demands finally and it was a good thing there was no customer at that time of the day or it would’ve been embarrassing. The customer stood frozen on the spot, half his mask already peeled, the tip of his strong nose swollen.

Castiel stops. He’s never noticed them before, but they were all over his red cheeks… those sprinkle of sunspot freckles… beautiful lips— _allergic to cats…?_

“Fine,” the man sighs, removing his shades revealing his red eyes shining with tears.

Castiel gasps. Before anyone could comment on the man’s glaring rashes, and the redness of his eyes that used to be very bright green— Castiel is dragging the man outside the shop and pushing him as far away from the doorway as possible all the while gritting his teeth because _the guy’s allergic to cats—_

 _“ARE.YOU.IN.SANE?”_ he bellows when they are facing each other.

The man’s face mask falls to the ground and there he is, Castiel’s name tag thief who looks as handsome, if not totally mess and he’s red and filled with rashes all over his cheeks. He is crying—or at least the allergy is making him unable to be responsible for his reaction.

Castiel is on his space the next second, wanting to touch him but afraid his hands would only irritate the man. “Are—are you okay?” he asks in concern.

“No,” the man blinks painfully, wrenching Castiel’s heart, “I gotta…”

“Do you have any medication with you?”

“Yeah… pocket…”

Castiel pulls the man’s military jacket and digs hand to get the capsule. of the street. Behind him, he can hear the café shop’s cats meowling again. He focuses on the man.

“Easy,” the man chuckles now with his eyes shut and despite the rashes and lines of red, he is smugly smiling.

“How can you smile at a time like this?” Castiel snaps in disbelief.

“I’m with a very attractive guy, who wouldn’t smile?” he presses his lips, digs inside his left pocket, and hands Castiel his tag. “Sorry about that… I just wanted a reason to uh… talk.”

“A reason to talk while blinded doesn’t sound appealing.” He says crossly.

“Aw, true, or I wouldn’t see that beauty that’s you.”

Castiel purses his lips and glares up. The man is obviously making light of his life choices, beaming up at him flamboyantly like he just won the lottery. If he doesn’t look so handsome and like an idiot with red eyes, Castiel will tell him he is cute. Once he got it, he helps Dean to take it and stays with him under the cool breeze of sundown in the corner

“Don’t ever do that again, for whatever reason. Look at you.” 

"I'm fine,"

“You’re not—we mistook you for a cat-napper—how is that fine? And for what?”

“I wanted to see you, yeah,”

“Right…” Castiel flushes pink, “W-what’s your name?”

“Dean,” he says it like he’s been practicing how to introduce himself.

“Castiel, but call me Cas…”

“I know.” He smiles smugly again, lips quirking, asking to be kissed. A helpless case of a man after his attention, if Castiel deduced right. If so, Castiel is flattered, especially when he’s also much taken with the guy at first glance. Now he just wants to push him in a car and drive him to the nearest hospital isn’t exactly his ideal kind of first meeting. He pitches to touch Dean’s cheeks but restrains himself.

In due time. Let space be. _Space… wash hands, remove space…_

“You could’ve asked for me without staying around too much,” he sighs.

“Doesn’t matter, you’re talking to me now.” Dean flashes him another adorable smile, Castiel wonders if the man knows what he is doing. The way his eyes speak tells him yes.

“So, uh… d-do you have a boyfriend?” Dean asks after finally cooling off the rashes and Castiel can once again see his emerald pair. Castiel shouldn’t be surprised, but his face turns hot all the same as some bad case of rashes too.

“I’ll tell you one thing for sure—we’re not dating in any cat café.”

Dean’s face lights up, stars flashing in his eyes like Castiel gave him the answer to his prayers.

“I don’t mind if it’s for you. I’d rather have you—with allergies and all that.”

“I understand, now do you have a car so I can get you to the hospital or do you want to use my car?”

“No, it’s okay.”

“It’s not. I also want to take a shower otherwise, how am I going to live with this space between us? I don’t like space—do you? So to the hospital—and then shower—damn it, Dean your eyes are so red, you’re so stupid.”

“Love and stupid goes together, they said!”

“To the hospital,” Castiel says firmly, taking Dean by the shoulder. Dean tells him another no but Castiel wouldn’t hear it. He wants to have happy times with his new acquaintance, possibly more, and getting done by allergies even before they could begin is a big _no_.


End file.
